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Join the ServerLi Xiao’s words sounded righteous, but Jiang Yu detected a hidden meaning. He didn’t dare dwell on it.
Soon, the food arrived.
The fried rice was steaming, with generous chunks of beef and glossy grains.
The salad was fresh, and the soup of the day was corn and pork rib, fragrant and inviting.
Jiang Yu was indeed hungry.
He had last eaten a rice ball at noon, and now it was ten at night.
His stomach was hollow with hunger, yet he ate slowly – small bites, chewing carefully.
Li Xiao watched him eat, and that restless feeling stirred again.
Jiang Yu’s every movement at the table was marked by a cautious restraint, as if eating too fast would be rude, or as if it was a habit formed by long-term irregular meals.
“Eating so slowly, the food will get cold.”
Li Xiao pushed his own untouched fried rice toward Jiang Yu.
“Eat more if it’s not enough.”
Jiang Yu paused, looking up at him.
“…Aren’t you eating?”
“I’ve already eaten.”
Li Xiao said casually.
“I’m fine just watching you.”
The words carried a hint of ambiguity. Jiang Yu felt his ears warm, and he lowered his head to continue eating, though he picked up the pace.
Li Xiao said nothing more, simply watching him.
The bar’s lighting was dim and hazy, the music a lazy jazz. This corner was relatively quiet.
Jiang Yu’s eyelashes were long, casting small shadows on his cheeks when he looked down.
He ate earnestly, occasionally licking a grain of rice from the corner of his mouth with an unconscious innocence.
Li Xiao suddenly remembered the high school graduation photo from the file.
The boy in the photo smiled brightly, his eyes full of light.
He seemed a world apart from the silent, restrained bartender before him.
“Your sister…”
Li Xiao spoke abruptly.
“Senior year must be intense, right?”
Jiang Yu’s head shot up, his eyes instantly wary.
“What do you mean?”
“Just asking.”
Li Xiao’s expression was calm.
“I have a cousin taking the college entrance exam this year too. He complains about homework every day.”
Jiang Yu stared at him for a few seconds. Confirming there was no hidden intent, he replied in a low voice.
“…It’s okay. She does well. She can keep up.”
“Which university does she want to get into?”
“Jing University in the city.”
Jiang Yu’s tone softened unconsciously when speaking of his sister.
“She wants to study computer science.”
“Jing University’s computer science program has high requirements.”
Li Xiao said.
“But with her grades, it should be fine.”
A flicker crossed Jiang Yu’s eyes.
“How… do you know her grades?”
Li Xiao paused, then answered without changing his expression.
“Just a guess. Seeing how you are, your sister must be very hardworking.”
The words were half true, half false.
He had seen the files; Jiang Qing’s report card was impressive – top ten in her grade.
But he didn’t want Jiang Yu to think he had investigated too thoroughly.
Jiang Yu seemed to accept the explanation. He lowered his head to eat again, but his tense shoulders relaxed a little.
Li Xiao watched him, and something softened inside him.
Only when mentioning his sister did the hard shell around Jiang Yu crack, revealing a hint of real warmth.
This discovery gave Li Xiao a secret satisfaction.
As if he had found the key to open this closed world.
After eating, Jiang Yu cleaned up the dishes on his own.
Li Xiao didn’t stop him, watching as he efficiently stacked the containers and wiped the table clean.
“Your parents…”
Li Xiao spoke again, this time in a more casual tone.
“How many years since they passed?”
Jiang Yu’s hands stiffened for a moment as he tidied the table.
After two seconds, he answered.
“Five years and three months.”
His voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
“Raising your sister alone must have been tough.”
“…I’m used to it.”
“Didn’t you think about asking relatives for help?”
“We don’t have much contact.”
Jiang Yu said briefly, tossing the used napkin into the trash. He turned back to his mobile bar cart.
“Would Mr. Li like another drink?”
The topic change was abrupt, but Li Xiao didn’t press further.
He knew the details of Jiang Yu’s parents’ death, how the relatives had avoided them, how Jiang Yu had gritted his teeth and raised his sister alone, repaying the high-interest loans incurred from his parents’ medical bills.
This information was just cold text in the files, but now, watching Jiang Yu’s straight back and tightly pressed lips, Li Xiao could suddenly picture those scenes.
A strange emotion welled up in him, something like… pity.
The thought made Li Xiao find himself ridiculous.
Since when did he, Li Xiao, pity anyone?
“Mix another one.”
He suppressed the feeling, reverting to his usual tone.
“Anything. Your call.”
Jiang Yu nodded and began selecting spirits.
This time, he took longer, carefully choosing the base liquor and even glancing at a small notebook where he had jotted down his own recipes.
Li Xiao watched his focused profile and suddenly asked.
“Do you like mixing drinks?”
Jiang Yu didn’t stop his movements.
“It’s just a job.”
“But you’re experimenting with recipes.”
Li Xiao pointed at the notebook.
“An ordinary bartender wouldn’t do that.”
Jiang Yu was silent for a few seconds, then poured an ounce of bourbon into the shaker.
“…I’m interested. Mixing drinks is like a chemistry experiment – ratios, temperature, shaking time. A slight difference changes the taste.”
“Are you talented?”
“The manager says I have steady hands.”
Jiang Yu started adding ice.
“And I learn fast.”
“Then you could consider developing in this direction.”
Li Xiao said.
“A senior bartender earns decent money.”
Jiang Yu didn’t respond, focusing on shaking the shaker.
The clinking of ice was crisp and rhythmic.
After fifteen seconds, he strained the liquid, added two drops of bitters, and pushed the glass to Li Xiao.
“It doesn’t have a name. It’s my own recipe.”
“Bourbon base, with a little maple syrup and lemon juice, bitters to balance the sweetness.”
Li Xiao took a sip.
The flavor was complex: sweet at first, then bitter, finishing with the mellow aftertaste of whiskey.
“Not bad.”
He gave an honest compliment.
“Better than the signature drinks at many professional bars.”
Jiang Yu’s eyelashes fluttered. He didn’t speak, but Li Xiao saw the faintest upward curve at the corner of his mouth.
It was almost imperceptible, but Li Xiao caught it.
That inexplicable feeling of pleasure rose again in his chest.
In the time that followed, Li Xiao didn’t ask any more sensitive questions.
He had Jiang Yu mix several different drinks, tasting each one carefully and giving feedback.
Jiang Yu gradually spoke a little more, explaining why he chose a particular base spirit or added a specific ingredient.
His voice was pleasant – clear and clean. When talking about his field, his speech unconsciously sped up, and a focused light appeared in his eyes.
Li Xiao leaned back in the sofa, drinking and listening to him talk.
The bar’s music changed to a slower blues.
The booth was secluded, like a little world of its own.
At half past eleven, Jiang Yu let out a small yawn, then immediately pressed his lips shut, as if afraid of being noticed.
“Tired?”
Li Xiao asked.
“No.”
Jiang Yu instinctively denied it, but the fatigue in his eyes was hard to hide.
Li Xiao glanced at the time.
“Alright, that’s enough for tonight.”
Jiang Yu looked up in surprise.
Usually, Li Xiao stayed at least until midnight.
“What? Reluctant to let me go?”
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